I got the metaphor idea from the start! But....................
Just about anyone who has posted their dyno pull here will have changed the air fuel and may have posted both. So there you have it! As for detonation, I know it makes a great word for a business metaphor but I don't think a/f plays a major part in it so you may not see the results you are looking for. Perhaps using 'miss' instead of 'detonating'?
Perhaps you might persue the VE course as the metaphor? Just a thought!
What ever you end up with, it would be interesting to see.
Rick